My Beautiful Children
by 177624601
Summary: Takes place between My Most Bitter Friend And Dearest Enemy and Phantom Force. Danny's at home with the kids while Sam is on a business trip.
1. Valerie's Surprise

Disclaimer: I only own Jessica Mallory Fenton and Daniel James Fenton, Jr.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

The phone rang at the Fenton household.

"Hello?" Danny, now 24, asked as he balanced his three month old daughter, Jessica Mallory, on his hip, phone pinched awkwardly between his shoulder and ear, baby bottle in his left hand.

"Hey, hon, it's me." Sam's voice replied over the phone.

"Hey, beautiful, how's the business trip?" Danny asked his beloved wife.

"Not bad. Hawaii's beautiful. How are the kids?"

Danny sighed. "I try. Lord, how I try. They were actually pretty good today. Right now, I'm trying to feed Jess, and Danny's asleep."

"You sound tired."

"That might be a bit of an understatement."

"Oh, poor baby. Don't worry; I'll be home in a couple of days."

"Love you."

"Love you more."

With that, Danny clicked the phone off and, cradling her in his arm, sat down on the couch, gazing at his beautiful baby daughter.

"All done?" He asked as she finished off her bottle. He sang to her as he rocked her to sleep. "_I've got sunshine  
On a cloudy day  
When it's cold outside  
I've got the month of May  
I guess you'd say  
What can make me feel this way?  
My girl  
My girl, my girl  
Talkin' 'bout my girl  
My girl_

_I've got so much honey  
the bees envy me  
I've got a sweeter song than  
the birds in the trees  
I guess you'll say  
What can make me feel this way?  
My girl  
My girl, my girl  
Talkin' 'bout my girl  
My girl_

_Hey hey hey  
Hey hey hey  
Ooooh... _

_I don't need no money,  
fortune or fame  
I've got all the riches baby  
one man can claim  
Well I guess you'll say  
What can make me feel this way?  
My girl  
My girl, my girl  
Talkin' 'bout my girl  
My girl_

Goodnight, sweet pea." He said, kissing her on the head and lightly stroking her blonde hair as she closed her amethyst eyes. Unable to take his eyes off the sleeping angel, he placed her in the cradle, gently rocking it. He sat there in a serene quietude that lasted for a few minutes before it was broken by the wailing of Jess' one year old brother, Daniel James Fenton, Jr.

"Alright, Danny, I'm coming'." Danny said as he walked into his son's bedroom and picked Danny up out of his crib. After placing a used blue blanket with two loose hems, Danny, Jr.'s favorite blanket, on the floor, he laid his son on top of the blanket, removing his diaper. One thing Danny remembered about Home Ec. Class was diaper changing. He finished wrapping Danny in a clean diaper as he doorbell rang. Balancing Danny, who was still holding onto one of the hems while sucking his thumb, on his waist, he walked to the front door.

"Hey, Val." Danny said as he saw Valerie Grey-Foley standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Danny. Since Sam left you home for the week with the kids, I thought I'd bring you something to eat. I'm not much of a chef, so I just boiled some spaghetti and meatballs. Hi, Danny." She said as she rubbed his head covered in snow-white hair, his big, green eyes gazing up at her.

"Thanks. Want to come in?"

"Sure, thanks." Valerie sat down at the kitchen table.

"How's Tuck? I haven't heard from him in a while." Danny asked as he put the pasta in the fridge and put Danny in his highchair.

"Oh, he's off in Washington again. What about you?"

"Same stuff, different day."

"How are the kids?"

"They were actually little angels today. Some days they're a couple of little terrors."

"I'd imagine so. So, do you and Sam like being parents?"

"We love it." It was at that point Danny noticed Valerie's stomach seemed to have grown, while the rest of her shape stayed the same. "Are you..?"

She nodded. "Five months."

"Does Tucker know?"

"Yes."

"Boy or girl?"

"We've decided to wait and find out after the delivery."

"Have you decided on any names?"

"Alexander, if it's a boy, Catherine if it's a girl. Well, I got to go. It's been great seeing you again." She said, standing up.

"Yeah, you, too. Tell Tucker I said hi."

"I will. Bye!"

"Ciao. It's time we put _you_ to bed." Danny said, Danny Jr. gazing back at him with those dazzlingly beautiful emerald eyes. As with Jess, Danny, Jr. fell asleep in his dad's arms as Danny rocked his son to sleep, softly singing an old John Lennon song to him.

"_Close your eyes  
Have no fear  
The monster's gone  
He's on the run and your daddy's here  
_

_Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful  
Beautiful boy  
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful  
Beautiful boy  
_

_Before you go to sleep  
Say a little prayer  
Every day in every way  
It's getting better and better  
_

_Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful  
Beautiful boy  
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful  
Beautiful boy  
_

_Out on the ocean sailing away  
I can hardly wait  
To see you come of age  
But I guess we'll both just have to be patient  
'Cause it's a long way to go  
A hard row to hoe  
Yes it's a long way to go  
But in the meantime  
_

_Before you cross the street  
Take my hand  
Life is what happens to you  
While you're busy making other plans  
_

_Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful  
Beautiful boy  
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful  
Beautiful boy  
_

_Before you go to sleep  
Say a little prayer  
Every day in every way  
It's getting better and better  
_

_Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful  
Beautiful boy  
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful  
Beautiful boy  
_

_Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful  
Beautiful boy  
Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful  
Beautiful boy  
_

_Darling, darling, darling  
My Beautiful boy._

Goodnight, my beautiful boy." Danny said, kissing his sleeping son on the forehead as he lowered Danny into his crib.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

A/N: That's all unless you want more.


	2. Teething

The alarm clock, one of those exceptionally loud types with the silver hammer and bells, went off precisely at 7:00. "Argh, I hear you, I hear you." Danny said as he turned it off. Bleary-eyed, he got out of bed, scratched himself in an unmentionable place, dropped some Pop-Tarts in the toaster, and poured himself some milk. He was just finishing up his simple breakfast when he heard Jess crying. Somehow, she had a talent for waking earlier than her brother.

"Alright, come on, hon." Danny said as he lovingly cradled his baby girl in his arms. He hummed "My Girl", the song he sang to her to relax her or put her to sleep, as they waited for the bottle to finish microwaving. "Not hungry?" he asked as she pushed the bottle away from her mouth. "Let's try another approach." He put a towel on the breakfast table, placing her on top of it. "Nothing." He said, resealing the diaper. "Maybe you need a burping." He took her over his shoulder, patting her on the back. "Jess, honey, are you feeling ok?" He asked, having received no burp.

Danny felt her forehead. "Jess, you're burning up. I'll be right back." He said as he carried her into the master bedroom, setting her on the bed as he rummaged through the bookshelf, looking for one of Sam's guides to child-rearing. "This'll do nicely." Said Danny as he pulled out a guide the size of a phone book. He looked through the book until he came across one article. "Well, you do seem to be in a bad mood, you have a fever, and you didn't want your bottle. Now let's have a look at your mouth." Danny said as he tugged on her bottom lip. "'Swelling in the gums' check. 'Excess saliva' check. That's it, Jess, you're teething. Looks like you're going to have to borrow one of Danny's teething rings until we can find you one of your own." Said Danny, Sam having been the one who was the first to find out when their son had started teething.

Danny winced as he opened the fridge after placing Jess in her highchair. "Looks like we're running low on baby food, among other things." He said, grabbing a jar of banana flavored Gerber's as Danny woke up, crying. Danny grabbed his son and carried him down to the kitchen, securing him in his highchair before stirring the contents in the jar while singing "Beautiful Boy", the song he used to calm Danny, to himself.

When both the kids had been fed, Danny turned the kitchen TV on, the kids watching Saturday morning cartoons as Danny took a shower, brushed, shaved, and got dressed before dressing the kids, handing each one of them a teething ring, strapping them into their child safety seats in the back of his 1999 Buick Century and taking off for the local Stop & Shop. All of Danny's friends said how beautiful his kids were, especially Danny's big, enchantingly emerald eyes, enhanced by the feeling that he gazed at you as though he was studying you. He was just heading down the baby care aisle, the kids strapped into one of those grocery carts/kiddy cars to find Jess a new teething ring, when he heard a familiar, heavily accented voice.

"Danny? Danny Fenton? I haven't seen you in years."

"Hey, Paulina." Danny said, turning around, surprised that the girl who gave him the cold shoulder so much in High School was actually coming up to him, and with a baby, nonetheless. "Last I heard, you were in a car accident. Are you still dating Dash?"

"No, he was too shallow and self-absorbed."

"I'm sorry?" Danny asked, surprised at what she'd said.

"You know that car accident I was in?"

"Oh, yeah."

"Well, it was a blessing in disguise, because as I was recovering in the hospital, I realized that there are more important things in life than beauty." Paulina said, having received several broken ribs, even though there wasn't a single mark on her nearly flawless skin (she has a mole. Can't you tell?). The only thing damaged, other than her bones, was her ego, which had stayed deflated. "It was there I met my husband, Marcus Estevez. We went out to dinner, and a year later we got married and had Maria." She said, as she turned her gaze to her daughter (A/N: They mention Maria twice in "Phantom Force"). Looking back at Danny, she asked, "What about you?"

"Well, about eight years after we graduated from Casper High, Sam and I got married and had Danny, Jr. here. Then, a year later, Sam gave birth to our lovely daughter Jessica."

"Aren't they precious. You look like the Ghost Boy." She said as she looked into Danny, Jr.'s deep lime eyes. "And your eyes are the most beautiful green. So, how's Sam?" She asked, turning to Danny, Sr.

"She's doing great. She's a doctor now, and has dedicated her work life to finding a cure for cancer. This week she's off in Hawaii on a business trip. She's actually coming back today."

"Tell her I said hi and that I'm sorry for picking on her all those years in High School."

"I will. Now should I buy Huggies or Luvs?"

"You have one new message. 8:30 AM" The answering machine stated as Danny pressed the button. "Hey, Danny, it's me." Sam's voice came on. "The plane'll be landing in about an hour. See ya then!"

Danny checked his watch. 9:00. "Alright, you little monsters, back in the car." Danny said as he scooped up Danny and Jess, buckled them back into their safety seats, and drove them to the airport. Sam looked around for her husband before she saw him walking up, pushing the kids in a stroller, Jess behind Danny, both of them sound asleep.

"Hey, sweetie." Sam whispered as she kissed her husband. "How were the kids today?"

"They were great. They only acted up the first couple of days, but I set them straight. Wake up, kids, say hi to mommy." He said as he gently prodded the kids awake. As soon as Danny's bright eyes fell on mommy, his arms reached straight out, his pudgy little fingers flexing in the air.

"Mama." He said, a huge grin on his angelic face.

"Yes, Danny, it's me, mommy." Sam replied, balancing him on her hips, kissing him on the cheek after dropping both her suitcases.

"Guess who started teething today." Big Danny said in a singsong voice as he gestured with his eyes to Jess, who was now gnawing on her new toy.

"She did?" Sam asked, stooping down to Jess' level, tickling Jess' chin with her free hand, Jess giving out one of those adorable baby laughs. "Hey, sweetie, good for you."

That evening, Jess yawned as she and Sam played "Patty-cake" while Danny read a Curious George book to his son.

"I think it's time to put a couple of very tired children down for their nap." Sam said as she cradled Jessica in her arms and carried her off to bed.

"I think you're right. Tired, Danny?" Big Danny replied

"No." Little Danny lied, his eyelids drooping. Big Danny scooped up his son, took out an old John Lennon CD, popped it in the player, selected "Beautiful Boy", and, holding Danny's head to his shoulder, singing along softly as Danny started to doze on daddy's shoulder. Sam came downstairs, baby monitors in hand, stopping in the living room doorway, looking on as Danny danced with his infant son sleeping gently in his arms.

After Danny and Sam had tucked Danny, he presented her with two wine glasses and a bottle of Chardonnay. "I saw Paulina today. She says hi…"

"Ugh."

"…and that she's sorry for picking on you in High School."

"What?"

"Yeah, I was surprised, too. Apparently that car accident she was in deflated her ego a lot. Anyhow, she got married and has a daughter named Maria. Oh, and Valerie dropped by the night before. Apparently she's five months pregnant."

"Good for her! Do they know the gender?"

"No, they want it to be a surprise. If it's a boy, they're gonna name it Alex, and if it's a girl, Catherine." With that, Danny stroked her hair as he started to sing. "_Darling, darling, darling  
My Beautiful Sam._"


	3. Four Months Later

"Hello?" Sam asked, woken by the ringing of the phone.

"Hi, Sam."

"Tucker? I haven't heard from you in a long time."

"Yeah, I'm home on family business." Tucker said, having recently been made a US senator.

"Is Danny home?"

"Yeah, he's right here. Wanna talk to him?"

"Sure."

Sam put the phone to her shoulder as she nudged her sleeping husband. "Danny?"

"Hmm?"

"Danny, wake up." She said, assertively.

"I-I-I'm up, I'm up." He said, bleary-eyed.

"It's Tucker, he's back home, and he wants to talk to you."

"Tuck, what's up?"

"I'm not going to say anything, but that I'd like you and Sam to meet me at Amity Park General Hospital ASAP. Oh, and get a sitter for the kids."

"Ok, bye. Sam, I'm gonna take my shower."

"Wait, what'd he say?"

"He wants us to meet him at Amity General Hospital."

"Oh. Don't worry, honey, I'll get that" Sam said as she heard Jess crying over the baby monitor.

"Alright, I just got off the phone with mom and dad, and they've agreed to have the kids over." Danny said as he appeared in a long sleeved, button down plaid shirt, tan pants, and two year old Danny still asleep in his loving arms. "Rise and shine, Danny." He said as he gently poked his son, sprinkling some cheerios on his highchair tray and poured some orange juice into Danny's sippy cup. As soon as his son's breakfast was set up, he relieved Sam of Jess, putting his seven month old daughter in her highchair next her brother as Sam went to take her shower. Looking through the fridge, he found a jar of apple flavored Gerber's baby food. He stirred the jar's contents before returning to the breakfast table with the tiny jar and a bowlful of Kashi cereal.

Finally, Danny and Sam were off to the hospital, having left the kids with Jack and Maddie Fenton, along with two bags, one with books and toys, the other full of diapers, wet wipes, and baby powder. They met an extremely happy Tucker, who looked the same as always, outside the hospital. Sam and Danny each got an extreme case of déjà vu as Tucker led them to the hospital room. After what seemed like forever, they exchanged knowing glances as Tucker led them to room 226, the same room where Danny, Jr. had been delivered. As they entered the room, Danny saw Mr. and Mrs. Foley and Mr. Grey standing by a hospital bed, occupied by Valerie, who had a small bundle in her arms.

"Hey, guys." She said. "Say hello to Alexander John Foley."

"Congratulations, guys." Danny said as he put his arm over Tucker's shoulders.

"Thanks, Danny. Danny, Sam, Val and I got to talking, and we decided to ask you to be his godparents."

"Of course we will, Tucker." Sam replied "Actually, Danny and I were discussing the same thing last night, and we were wondering if you guys would like to be Danny and Jess' godparents."

"We'd love to, Sam." Valerie said.


	4. Errands

Danny stared out the car window as the kids sat in the back, the car's vibrations and the pitter-patter of rain having lulled both of them asleep. Danny was feeling a little drowsy himself. Rainy days did that to him. Thankfully, Sam was behind the wheel. "Danny, wake up." She admonished him as he started to snore.

"Sorry, Sam. You know what days like this do to me. Aren't they cute?" Danny whispered as he looked in the rearview mirror at the two children as they slept in their safety seats. They had a full day of running errands ahead of them. First, they took the kids to the doctor, Dr. Menzer (A/N: the name of my late childhood physician) for their annual checkup.

Rainy days made the kids a little temperamental so, in order to stop Jess' crying, Danny put in a CD of Disney songs. That CD not helping, Danny put in a mix CD he had made of the kids' favorite songs, skipping right to "My Girl", which calmed her down instantly. Finally, after getting some office supplies, new clothes and shoes for the kids, some feminine hygiene products, and some wedding presents for a friend of Sam's, they had one last stop: groceries, which had gotten a little more expensive ever since they had agreed that Jess was too old for breastfeeding.

"Gulliver's Travels! Is that Sam Manson and Danny Fenton? I haven't seen the two of you since graduation."

"Oh, hi, Lancer." Danny replied.

"We're all adults now, you can call me Ed."

"So, Ed, what have you been doing with yourself?"

"I'm still vice principal at Casper High. Yourselves?"

"Well, I'm an astronaut, as hard as it is to believe, Sam's a doctor, and we've been happily married for the past two years, three this April. These are our kids Danny and Jess. Danny, Jess, this is Mr. Lancer. He used to teach mommy and daddy when we went to school."

"Shiny!" Danny, Jr. yelled as he pointed at Mr. Lancer's head.

"Now, Danny, you know that's rude. I'm sorry, Ed." Sam said.

"I forgive him. So, I presume you still talk with Tucker?"

"Not as much as we used to. Actually, he and Valerie had a baby boy a few days ago and they asked us to be his godparents."

"Well, I'm glad everyone _else's_ life is progressing. Oh, and belated congratulations on your marriage."

"Thanks. Oh Danny, did you hear that Valerie's coming home from the hospital today?" Sam asked as they walked away.

"No, I didn't. I just hope Tucker's knack for pickup lines isn't genetic."

By the time they got home, Jess was sound asleep. The same couldn't be said for little Danny. He was awake and he made sure people knew it from the way he was crying. By the time Sam brought in the last couple of bags from Bed, Bath, and Beyond (Don't worry, Danny brought in 75 percent of the bags), Danny had put on "Beautiful Boy". As she put the bags down on couch, she watched as Danny danced with their som, eyes closed, his baby boy held close against his shoulder in daddy's strong, loving arms. Danny opened his eyes, returning his wife's smile.


End file.
